B2B Skeleton Coast Challenge

Two adventurous individuals will be Surfski Paddling the entire coastline of Namibia from Oranjemund to the mighty Kunene river mouth. The total distance is 1500km of treacherous seas and coast, also known in parts as the Skeleton Coast.It is our hope that the severity of the Journey will help bring awareness to all Namibia and breaking down the stigmas following Mental health.

The 2 paddlers and adventure friends are Ian Daniel and Desmond Howard, here’s the WHY:

Ian Daniel

I am an adventurer at heart with many years of paddling and adventure experience. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder when I was 19 years of age and have been on medication since then. Mental health or the lack thereof in Namibia has always been a huge issue close to my heart. I know there are many people out there who have no help – medical or medicinal and are suffering. We hope to raise awareness, support and hopefully educate the public and get rid of the stigma associated with mental illnesses.

I need to make a difference in this world, and by achieving a massive goal like the B2B challenge I can hopefully educate and give hope to the whole of Namibia, humanity and sufferers.No matter what challenges you face in life you can achieve and excel.

Desmond Howard

I suffered from extreme anxiety and tendencies towards depression and because of these disorders I ended up trying to drink myself to sanity. I suffered with these disorders for more than 30 years, not allowing myself to look for help due to the stigmas attached to seeing psychiatrists and mental health in general. After much deliberation and more anxiety, I started taking medication about two years ago. 8 months later I quit drinking and all recreational stimuli and started my road to full mental health recovery. I am now more than a year clean and sober, fit and happy.

The Joke of all this is that most of you know me as the ‘Big’ Namibian property developer that closed some of the biggest property deals this country has ever seen. What I saw is a scared little boy looking for approval. But not anymore, since I have started to take care of my mental health and wellbeing, my life has changed and I have never been happier. This I want for everyone that finds themselves in a similar situation, I know how debilitating it is and how destructive it can be. This journey is a full stop at the end of a lifetime of suffering and stress and the beginning of a new sentence that I have full control of the words still to be written.

The Challenge

To paddle up the Namibian coastline more than 50km’s a day unsupported for most part. We will be paddling between 1km and 5km off shore during our challenge. The total journey will take no less than 28 days or no more than 40 days. We will be hitting the shore daily and overnight on the beach for the entire journey. Our supplies will be taken on the surfski and we will be resupplying every few days.